members of the ruling communist party opened their congress to reflect on the past and chart a course for the future. welcome to nhk world "newsline." the elite who govern a nation of 1.3 billion have gathered to take part in a process that is both highly controlled and highly secretive. representatives of the ruling communist party have hoped their congress. over the next week, they will debate, discuss, and make deals. when it's all over, the next generation of leaders will take power. the 18th congress of the chinese communist party opened thursday

at the great hall of the people of beijing. the meeting happens every five years. delegates will approve new policies and appoint new party leaders for the five years to come. nhk world's james tengan is our guide to the congress. he joins us from beijing. james? >> reporter: yes, gene, it's a brisk 7 degrees celsius here in beijing, and the city is now abuzz that the congress is under way. signs and banners bearing slogans are everywhere. some read "cheers to the great chinese communist party," for without the communist party, there would be no new china. this is a major political event, and authorities carefully orchestrate every detail. i went for a tour of beijing to see what they've done. signs of the congress are everywhere in beijing -- flowers, elegant decorations and banners. when i got into a taxi, i found

another sign. ahead of the party congress, local authorities here in beijing have instructed all taxis to take the handles off so that people can't open the windows. chinese authorities are trying to prevent activists from throwing antigovernment leaflets out of the windows of moving taxis. police in beijing have put strict traffic checks in place for vehicles entering the capital. government authorities have mobilized an army of volunteers to help with security. they say 1.4 million citizens are taking part in the operation. the volunteers are told to keep suspicious people out of the city center. >> translator: i volunteered to help maintain security in the city. we're here to make sure the convention runs smoothly. >> reporter: security gets more intense in the heart of beijing.

police squads patrol in and around tiananmen square. people heading into the famous site face three checks, including bag searches. the party convention will be summarizing the past ten years under president hu jintao. in the elaborate building you see behind me, the communist party is holding a retrospective exhibition. more than 2,000 photos and documents are on display. the pictures and words stress how president hu and his government struggled to make china better during the last decade of rapid economic growth. >> james, during the last decade, china has changed socially. people spread information through the internet, they question authority and complain about corruption. how would you describe the climate now that the congress is under way? >> reporter: gene, there's a

feeling of tension here of authorities being on heightened alert. government officials are always on edge before, during, and after the congress. their number-one priority is to make sure the meeting goes off without a hitch. they want no trouble, no disruptions, nothing to take away from this important political transition. and so, they shut things down or beef up security to keep it all running smoothly. the congress opened thursday morning in beijing's great hall of the people. it's about a ten-minute drive from our studios. i went there to watch it all unfold. 2,300 delegates from across the country gathered inside the great hall of the people. president hu jintao is now in the midst of giving a work report on past achievements and future goals. >> translator: the communist party has united all ethnic

groups across the country and led the people. we have also transformed the old, underdeveloped china into a new china that is prospering every day. but we have to realize that there is room for improvement in our work. the imbalance of development and the lack of sustainability are still evident. there are many obstacles. the disparity between urban and rural areas is wide. the gap in income distribution remains large. and corruption is still a problem. >> hu spoke for about 90 minutes. he laid out an economic challenge for china. >> translator: let's work together to double the gross domestic product and the average income and build a moderately prosperous society in all

respects by 2020 compared to how things were in 2010. >> reporter: hu took over as the communist party's general secretary in 2002. he is set to lead the top host when the congress ends next wednesday. and vice president xi jinping is set to take over. china transformed into a global power during president hu's ten years at the top. it was the world's sixth largest economy. and now it's the second largest. and yet, while this nation's ranks of billionaires and millionaires have ballooned, millions still live on about a dollar a day. we asked nhk world's itch taca yamaka to take a look at president hu's accomplishments and the challenges facing the next generation.

>> reporter: china has faced many domestic and diplomatic challenges over the past decade under president hu jintao's leadership. >> reporter: hu promoted what he called the concept of scientific development. the policy aims to create a harmon society, even if the process required slower growth. the hu administration abolished a two-year-old tax farmers had to pay based on the size of harvests. it was part of the president's effort to narrow the economic gap between urban and rural areas. hu also worked toward a sweeping

consolidation of coal mines and chemical plants, which resulted in a reduction in pollution. but the president hasn't been able to control china's income disparity or corruption among its bureaucrats, and so public anger with the government is simmering. migrant workers in cities and students looking for work are among those who are upset. >> translator: it's so difficult to find a job. >> reporter: hu also faced dissatisfaction ethnic minorities have with the government. riots erupted among tibetans in 2008 and among uighurs in the shinga autonomous uighur north region in 2009. on the international front,

china under hu used remarkable economic growth to boost its influence. the country hosted the beijing olympics in 2008 and the shanghai expo in 2010. years of economic growth paid off that same year. china surpassed japan in gross domestic product to become the world's second largest economy behind the u.s. the chinese government with its growing military started to flex its muscles in the region. it wrangled with asian nations over control of islands in the south china sea and east china sea. >> and joining us now is michitaka. michitaka, you were with me in the great hall of the people when president hu was giving his final speech as communist party general secretary.

what do you make of his words? >> the most notable part of the speech was when president hu spoke about the concept he's long supported. he was to make scientific outlook on development one of the communist party's guiding principles. it calls for review of the party's growth and economic policy and aims to incorporate sustainable development, which takes into account social welfare and the environment, making this concept a guiding principle would be part of hu's legacy. it would give him the same status as leaders past including dung zhao ming and deng xiaoping. and it will help him maintain influence within the party after he steps down. hu also advocates during his speech that china's wealth gap is wide and widening, and he said that the communist party would continue its effort o

fight corruption. >> translator: all those who violate party discipline and state laws, whoever they are, and whatever power or official positions they have, must be brought to justice without mercy. >> in some ways, president hu spoke directly to citizens who are fed up with corruption. the party is trying to keep a lead on anti-government movements by addressing public frustration. >> reporter: mitchitaka, what kind of changes are we going to see with the communist party's political bureau and the standing of the community? >> after the congress closes next wednesday, president hu would hand over the post of general secretary to vice president xi jinping, who belongs to a younger generation. these appointments this time around have one difference from the past. there is no so-called string man

pulling the strings. president hu and his predecessor were discovered and backed by deng xiaoping. so their appointment is a top party post were alone a matter of certainty. xi, however, did not have a such a supporter. he rose to the top as a result of coalition among a variety of intra-party forces. that would make it all the more difficult to choose a new party leadership to support xi because those forces have conflicting agendas. many names have been marked as possible numbers of the politburo's standing party. some believe some members would be chosen. they will govern china's population of 1.3 billion and steer the country into the future. but the discussions of the power plays are still going, so we'll keep watching for any details of this secretive process.

>> reporter: thank you, mitchitaka. and we'll be following this process every step of the way over the next week. we'll guide you through the issues related to the communist party's congress and china's transition of power. on friday, we'll find out a little more about the men who will become the country's top two leaders. who they are and how they got to where they are. so stay with "newsline." i'm james tengan in beijing. cradle of culture. economic powerhouse. many enjoy the fruits of prosperity along the path to a new china. but millions are missing out. at a time of growing public discontent, members of the communist party are choosing their new leaders. "newsline" correspondents are reporting from the party's national congress. don't miss our special coverage,

"china: the next generation," 8:00 p.m. japan time, here on "newsline." u.s. president barack obama spent little time basking in his reelection win. white house officials and members of congress have already returned to the bargaining table. they're hoping to avert a fiscal crisis by reaching a budget deal. obama spoke with democratic and republican congressional leaders on wednesday shortly after the election. the president sought bipartisan support for deficit cuts and tax reforms to avert a so-called fiscal cliff. the combination of automatic tax increases and spending cuts could push the u.s. economy back into recession. house of representatives speaker john boehner said republicans are ready to work with the president on tax reform. many republicans want to keep tax cuts for the wealthy, but democrats are opposed. >> mr. president, the republican

majority in the house stands ready to work with you to do what's best for our country. we're willing to accept new revenue under the right conditions. >> boehner said obama obama must reduce spending and overhaul entitlement programs. republicans then would be willing to back programs aimed at raising federal revenues. pakistan remains one of the biggest foreign policy headaches for re-elected president obama. his second term will oversee the withdrawal of u.s. combat troops from afghanistan, scheduled to be complete by the end of 2014. nhk world's hideki yui outlines the challenges those two countries pose for obama's next term. >> reporter: afghanistan and pakistan are two nations affected by the u.s. fight against terrorism. both expect the obama administration to shift its focus during a second term to rebuilding the economy back home. at the height of the u.s. deployment, about 100,000

american troops were stationed in afghanistan. the number has fallen to less than 70,000, and further reductions are planned. many in afghanistan welcome that trend, but others voice concern that it could throw the unstable country back into civil war. dialogue between the united states and the taliban was suspended earlier this year. during the election campaign, obama distanced himself from the issue to avoid being branded weak on terrorism. with the election behind him, the president may become more flexible. here in pakistan, relations with washington are expected to remain tense. the two sides differ over how to handle elements of al qaeda and other militants hiding in remote areas of pakistan near the

afghan border. the obama administration has said islamabad is not doing enough to confront terrorists operating on pakistani soil. the u.s. has stepped up aerial attacks using unmanned drones. the attacks have aggravated anti-american sentiment on the streets of pakistan. cooperation is indispensable to the u.s. fight against terrorism. but the two countries' relationship remains fragile. if president obama wants this crucial campaign to succeed, he must first win over pakistan. hideki yui, nhk world, islamabad. the american maker of an anti-islamic film has been sentenced to one year in prison for violating the terms of his

probation on a separate charge. the film sparked outrage throughout the muslim world. a u.s. court on wednesday handed down a ruling on the 55-year-old california resident. the man was on probation after being convicted of bank fraud but was again detained in september on suspicion of using false identities and breaching the terms of his release. he was behind the production of the film that muslims said insulted the prophet muhammad. a clip of the film posted on video-stairing websites angered muslims around the world. a pakistani cabinet minister has placed a $100,000 bounty on the filmmaker, and some are expressing concern that the man could be harmed by those angered by the video.

two opposition candidates in south korean's upcoming presidential elections have united against the front runner the party. the shift comes after they agreed on tuesday to put up a single candidate who would stand a better chance of victory. campaign chiefs of the democratic united party hopeful moon jae-in met with their counterparts working for independent ahn cheol-soo on thursday. they started working on a joint declaration outlining a common platform. the two camps say they will pick a single candidate before the registration for the leadership race begins on november 25th. but the process may not be easy. both candidates seem set to sell their own tributes hard before the choice is made. recent opinion polls show that unless the they join forces neither of the pair is likely to upset the ruling saenuri party candidate park geun-hye. voters in the u.s. states of colorado and washington have

made it legal to smoke marijuana recreationally. the move, which defies federal law, is a first for the country. >> we are -- we are happy here in colorado. we've taken a step forward for commonsense drug policy. we're going to send a message around the world that marijuana prohibition has failed and it's time for a new direction. >> a majority of voters in both states supported ballot measures on tuesday. this means it's now legal for adults over 21 in these states to possess up to about 28 grams of marijuana for recreational purposes. the measures, however, need the approval of the states' governors before they can be implemented. in california and a few other states, marijuana use is allowed for medical purposes. but marijuana remains an illegal drug under the federal law. the federal government's position is that it will not allow colorado and washington to change the law. the move is also opposed by people who fear that it will lead to more widespread use of the drug.

many people living in the northeastern united states are saying, "not again." an early dose of winter weather has walloped their region just as it's recovering from the impact of last week's monster storm, sandy. this latest storm brought snow, rain, and wild winds, making streets and sidewalks slick and making getting around slow. the weather forced airlines to cancel more than 600 flights in and out of the northeast. >> the national weather service warns that there could be some major flooding in spots already eroded by sandy. >> new york mayor michael bloomberg says the storm would not be a big problem under normal circumstances but sandy damaged coastal areas. so he called on residents there to evacuate as a precaution. it's making life even more difficult for thousands of people. sandy killed more than 40 people in new york city alone. it triggered flooding and power outages. 30,000 households in the city

are still without electricity. clear weather in this part of the world. meteorologist robert speta has more. robert? we are seeing some sunny skies across japan here. we have this high pressure ridging in from the west bringingutely great conditions on your friday, going into saturday. but this is following the wake of this storm system over hokkaido actually bringing some very gusty winds. in yamagata prefecture, 97 kilometer-per-hour winds today on top of that, heavy rains in hokkaido. but good news once again, that will move off to the east so get out on there on your friday and saturday because this high pressure will s going to be bringing much better weather. but unfortunately going into sunday there's this storm system already bringing some heavy rains across china. actually, generally speaking, about 50 millimeters is going to be seen across the entire area and about 100 millimeters in some locations as this continues to push off towards the east once again on sunday. that will be bringing showers to

japan. meanwhile, in the tropics, things remain rather kauai t et, but we are also watching this area just towards the south of guam. that's going to be bringing some rain showers possibly but also possible tropical development going into next week, so we want to continue to watch the tropics very closely in this part of the ocean. ma nil knill la with a high of 32, bangkok up to 35. minus 3 on ulaanbaatar on our friday. let's take a look over towards the americas. here in the northeast, a nor'easter now rushing off into the new england states and eventually off there to canada, bringing some fair weather behind it. actually, this morning if you're waking up in new york, you're seeing some better skies and sunny skies possibly, but there's a mess on the ground. all that wet snow sticking to the surfaces, that's going to be creating some very dangerous driving conditions out here with that wet, sticky snowmaking those roads rather slippery. definitely over oh the next several days driving across new england and new york and eastern pennsylvania, it's going to be a slow go, so slow down out there

as that high pressure continues to move in. then we're looking at this low across ed idaho and northern montana, even southern portions of montana. look at the snowfall forecast, actually, up to 45 centimeters of snow is expected here and those dark areas in blue, even over towards california as that moisture runs onshore. it's going to be bringing some very deep snow pack. so for the skier, you're happy, but for everybody else, it's going to be bringing some very dangerous windchills, that blowing snow on the roadways. also, if you plan on flying in and out of this area, those cross winds up to 80 kilometers per hour, that's going to be bringing very dangerous flying weather so definitely want to watch this closely. winnipeg with a high of 2 only. houston on the other side there at 28 for your high on your thursday. let's take a look at europe. here into the iberian peninsula, portugal and spain seeing some widespread rain showers here. this has been continuous over the past several days so, flooding is high risk, not to mention even mud slides as this

storm system continues to linger and look off towards the north. this frontal area, deep and potent storm system moving across the british isles on your friday. some persistent showers are expected, rolling nearby across much of that reason region. meanwhile, in turkey, thunderstorms, even some hail and lightning expected out of this one. temperatures in eastern europe in the single digits, moscow with a high of 6, kiev at 9, and london and paris both at 11 and 12 here starting off your weekend. now let's take a look at your extended forecast. ♪

one more story before we go. a concert was held in vienna featuring the 18th century piano that wolfgang amadeus mozart played in his home. ♪ russian pianist alexander melnikov played the instrument before a small audience at mozart house. the museum and what was once mozart's residence. the piano was sent to vie yaen that from salzburg for the first time since the composer's death more than 200 years ago.

the contincert featured pieces composed in that very house. >> we can say that objectively it is an incredible piano and it sounds in such a special way that i believe it can move one to tears. >> the piano is believed to have been made in 1780. mozart bought it soon after he settled in vienna and played it until he died in 1791. the piano is about a meter wide, much smaller than the ones made today. it also has a lighter tone. >> well, it's a shame to know since -- to know what it might have sounded like when mozart actually wrote the music. usually weear mozart's music played on a modern piano, which is obviously quite different. >> the instrument is usually kept at the foundation in salzburg, mozart's birthplace. we'll be back with more updates in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo.